Read Online The High Country Rancher by Jan Hambright - Free Book Online
Authors: Jan Hambright
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I’m sorry you had to endure his zealous attack.”
“I survived.” He pushed his hat back and looked at her. “But I’ve always wondered why he had it in for me.” Baylor opened the door and climbed out of the truck.
Mariah pondered the unanswered question as she got out of the pickup and circled the four-wheeler. She flipped open the hardcover rifle scabbard mounted in front of the handlebars.
Lying in the foam-insulated holder was a rifle.
Caution laced through her. She had enough probable cause to seize the gun, but she didn’t have a slug to compare it to in a test fire. Those bullets were all up in the meadow, buried in the dirt around the mine shaft.
“So much for him only packing a .22.”
Baylor let out a low whistle. “Damn. I would never have believed it.”
“We’ll have to go back to the meadow with a metal detector, and a CSI to recover one of the slugs from the ground so they can do a ballistics comparison.”
“Why would he shoot at us?” Baylor couldn’t still the doubt looping in his mind. Killing someone was serious business.
What did Ray Buckner possibly have to gain?
Chapter Five
CSI Ryan Worchester stood up holding a mini-shovel in one hand and a bullet in the other.
Mariah dropped her sunglasses down on her nose and stared at it. “What do you think?”
“I won’t know until I get it into the lab, but it’s a rifle slug. Too big to have come from a pistol.”
She pushed her glasses back into place and glanced over to where Baylor stood, his hat pushed low on his head, arms crossed as he surveyed the meadow.
“Does the chief know about this?” Ryan asked, dropping the shovel and fishing for an evidence bag in the pocket of his pants.
“I didn’t mention that someone was shooting at us, in so many words, but I’ve got a lead I’m following up. Just do the ballistics comparison with the rifle I brought in yesterday evening.”
“Okay. I should have the results in a couple of days.” Ryan dropped the bullet into a baggie, zipped it closed and put it in his pocket. “Damnbeautiful spot to be shot at.” He looked around the meadow.
“Yeah. But I’d rather enjoy the scenery than have to take cover behind it. Be careful getting out of here, and stay on the path.” She glanced over at the vertical shaft that had almost been their grave.
She followed Ryan back to where Baylor held their rides down off the mountain.
“You found a bullet?” he asked.
“Yes, we’ve got what we need to compare it with the rifle we found on the four-wheeler Buckner was riding.”
Baylor nodded, glad to wrap things up in the meadow. For the first time in his life, the setting seemed hostile to him. The feeling of being watched had invaded his senses more than once since they’d first entered the area this morning, and he couldn’t shake it.
“You take the lead, Mariah.” He handed her the reins to Jericho. “Do you need help, Ryan?”
CSI Worchester had ridden Whiskey to the meadow, an old mare Baylor had retired but still had an affection for. She was kid-gentle, perfect for an inexperienced rider.
“No. I think I’ve got this.” Ryan put his foot into the stirrup and mounted up, grabbing a hold of the saddle horn.
Baylor handed him the reins, and mounted Texas. “I’ll take up the rear.”
The trio moved along the trail down out of themeadow, and Baylor didn’t breathe easy until they were riding up the driveway to the ranch. He had some investigating of his own to do, but it would have to wait.
The crunch of gravel under tires brought his head around and he moved over to the side of the drive, as Travis Priestly slowed and pulled up next to him.
“Hey.” Travis leaned out of the open window of his vehicle.
“Go ahead and come up to the house. I’ll show you where you’re going to bunk.” He liked Travis. He was trying his hand at ranching for the first time through a work study program out of a college in Montana, and Baylor had jumped on the chance to
“I survived.” He pushed his hat back and looked at her. “But I’ve always wondered why he had it in for me.” Baylor opened the door and climbed out of the truck.
Mariah pondered the unanswered question as she got out of the pickup and circled the four-wheeler. She flipped open the hardcover rifle scabbard mounted in front of the handlebars.
Lying in the foam-insulated holder was a rifle.
Caution laced through her. She had enough probable cause to seize the gun, but she didn’t have a slug to compare it to in a test fire. Those bullets were all up in the meadow, buried in the dirt around the mine shaft.
“So much for him only packing a .22.”
Baylor let out a low whistle. “Damn. I would never have believed it.”
“We’ll have to go back to the meadow with a metal detector, and a CSI to recover one of the slugs from the ground so they can do a ballistics comparison.”
“Why would he shoot at us?” Baylor couldn’t still the doubt looping in his mind. Killing someone was serious business.
What did Ray Buckner possibly have to gain?
Chapter Five
CSI Ryan Worchester stood up holding a mini-shovel in one hand and a bullet in the other.
Mariah dropped her sunglasses down on her nose and stared at it. “What do you think?”
“I won’t know until I get it into the lab, but it’s a rifle slug. Too big to have come from a pistol.”
She pushed her glasses back into place and glanced over to where Baylor stood, his hat pushed low on his head, arms crossed as he surveyed the meadow.
“Does the chief know about this?” Ryan asked, dropping the shovel and fishing for an evidence bag in the pocket of his pants.
“I didn’t mention that someone was shooting at us, in so many words, but I’ve got a lead I’m following up. Just do the ballistics comparison with the rifle I brought in yesterday evening.”
“Okay. I should have the results in a couple of days.” Ryan dropped the bullet into a baggie, zipped it closed and put it in his pocket. “Damnbeautiful spot to be shot at.” He looked around the meadow.
“Yeah. But I’d rather enjoy the scenery than have to take cover behind it. Be careful getting out of here, and stay on the path.” She glanced over at the vertical shaft that had almost been their grave.
She followed Ryan back to where Baylor held their rides down off the mountain.
“You found a bullet?” he asked.
“Yes, we’ve got what we need to compare it with the rifle we found on the four-wheeler Buckner was riding.”
Baylor nodded, glad to wrap things up in the meadow. For the first time in his life, the setting seemed hostile to him. The feeling of being watched had invaded his senses more than once since they’d first entered the area this morning, and he couldn’t shake it.
“You take the lead, Mariah.” He handed her the reins to Jericho. “Do you need help, Ryan?”
CSI Worchester had ridden Whiskey to the meadow, an old mare Baylor had retired but still had an affection for. She was kid-gentle, perfect for an inexperienced rider.
“No. I think I’ve got this.” Ryan put his foot into the stirrup and mounted up, grabbing a hold of the saddle horn.
Baylor handed him the reins, and mounted Texas. “I’ll take up the rear.”
The trio moved along the trail down out of themeadow, and Baylor didn’t breathe easy until they were riding up the driveway to the ranch. He had some investigating of his own to do, but it would have to wait.
The crunch of gravel under tires brought his head around and he moved over to the side of the drive, as Travis Priestly slowed and pulled up next to him.
“Hey.” Travis leaned out of the open window of his vehicle.
“Go ahead and come up to the house. I’ll show you where you’re going to bunk.” He liked Travis. He was trying his hand at ranching for the first time through a work study program out of a college in Montana, and Baylor had jumped on the chance to
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